Insticator Expands Its Reach in the AdTech Industry With Acquisition of Balihoo

First of it’s kind collaboration unlocks new possibilities for digital publishers and advertisers

[New York, 7/12/2023] — Insticator, the top-tier provider of advanced engagement solutions for publishers, is thrilled to announce its acquisition of Balihoo. The leader in multi-location marketing — and a renowned innovator in digital advertising technology — Balihoo gives Insticator additional versatility in the digital-ad domain, creating exciting new opportunities for online publishers and advertisers seeking to maximize their return on ad spend. This strategic new alliance aims to keep Insticator at the forefront of the digital ad game for years to come.

“The ad ecosystem is rapidly evolving and the companies that will thrive and win on the open internet need to have strong direct relationships with brands, publishers, and users,” said Founder and CEO, Zack Dugow. “This acquisition gives us remarkable technology that drives 9:1 ROAS for national franchise and multi-location brands. With Balihoo, Insticator now has a closed loop of direct connections with brands that compliments its already strong connections with users and publishers. This allows us to drive better outcomes for the entire supply chain.”

Insticator has acquired not only Balihoo, but the team members who have made Balihoo what it is, combining the strengths of both companies to deliver an ever-more-comprehensive suite of engagement and advertising solutions for businesses looking to operate online. Insticator’s audience-engagement expertise paired with Balihoo’s innovative advertising technology will revolutionize how digital publishers and advertisers connect with their audiences.

“We are pleased about the multitude of opportunities this acquisition presents,” said Kevin Lange, SVP, General Manager of Balihoo. “Through our collaboration and alliance with Insticator, we will unlock new avenues for growth and innovation. Balihoo has always been an innovator of digital solutions to power local brick-and-mortar business. Together with Insticator, we will shape the future of engagement and advertising, enabling our clients to thrive in this increasingly dynamic industry.”

This integration combines audience insights, interactive content, and targeted advertising capabilities, enabling businesses to deliver personalized experiences that captivate audiences and drive revenue growth. Furthermore, Balihoo’s franchise and multi-location clients will gain direct access to an expanded array of digital channels, enabling them to captivate their customers with highly targeted and localized messaging.

With this acquisition, Insticator and Balihoo embark on a transformative journey, strengthening Insticator’s position as a leader in the adtech industry. Their clients will have exciting new tools to navigate the ever-changing retail landscape, and they can continue to expect groundbreaking developments that redefine how businesses engage with their audiences.

About Insticator

The future of social media is distributed, not siloed in the ‘walled gardens’ of today.

At the core of our solution, Insticator’s Content Engagement Unit (CEU) and Commenting products are geared towards helping publishers establish a strong sense of social community within their ecosystems by enticing users to be more engaged with site content and amongst each other, all while favorably monetizing in the background.

We blend artificial intelligence with human moderation to facilitate healthy, respectful discourse and enable audiences to share opinions and interact with content that speaks directly to them. Insticator reaches over 350 million consumers monthly across its network of premium publishing partners, including Ancestry, Major League Baseball (MLB), Brit+Co, Lee Enterprises, Evolve Media, Empire Media Group, and others.

Beyond engagement, first-party data collection and activation puts publishers back in the driver’s seat to better understand and index audience behavior.

Insticator is proud to be a 5x recipient of the Inc 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies, a 2x recipient of Deloitte’s Fast 500, recognized on Crain’s New York Fast 50 list, recognized by Digiday’s Digiday Media Awards as a company working to modernize digital media, and awarded as one of AdWeek’s Top 10 Fastest Growing Solution Providers globally.

Visit insticator.com to learn more.

About Balihoo

Balihoo is the leader in multi-location marketing, providing cutting-edge digital solutions to franchise and multi-brand clients since 2009. With Balihoo’s leading-edge technology, brand messages can be transformed into hundreds or even thousands of high-performing, locally tailored digital ads at the push of a button. Balihoo’s clients stay ahead of the competition with real-time reporting delivered through Balihoo’s platform to both the brand and individual locations. Cutting-edge technology enables seamless collaboration between clients’ marketing team and local franchisees, while Balihoo’s dedicated team of digital media experts drives performance with full-service support for your digital campaigns. Discover how Balihoo can supercharge your local digital media at balihoo.com.